Astros owner Jim Crane looks to mend fences with agent

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NEW YORK – Astros owner Jim Crane thinks his management team and one of the game’s best agents will be able to bury the hatchet.

Crane talked briefly with two VIPs in front of the visiting third-base dugout on Tuesday afternoon at Yankee Stadium: Tigers Woods and Casey Close

Close, the agent to Dexter Fowler who also advised unsigned Astros draft picks Brady Aiken and Jacob Nix, is a leading figure at Excel Sports Management, which represents Woods.

“I’ll go up and talk to him tonight,” Crane said. “We’ll go and visit a little bit. But I’m not going to be dealing with Casey Close. That’s Jeff’s (general manager Jeff Luhnow’s) job. I know who he is, and we’ve talked once or twice, but I’m not dealing with contracts. That’s not my job.”

Close had some very strong words about Astros management leading up to this year’s deadline to sign draft picks, when all of Aiken (the first overall pick), Nix (fifth round) and Mac Marshall (21st round) went unsigned as questions about Aiken’s throwing elbow arose.

A grievance was filed by the player’s union over alleged impropriety by the Astros.

“I’m not going to stand for it, the families aren’t going to stand for it, and frankly, Major League Baseball shouldn’t stand for it,” Close told Jim Callis of MLB.com about the Astros’ conduct in the days leading to the July 18 deadline. “It’s mind-boggling to me that other clubs wouldn’t be appalled.”

Nix had an agreement with the team and passed his physical. But Aiken’s deal fell through and created the potential for penalties had the Astros signed Nix without inking Aiken. The Astros did not honor the agreement with Nix, an agreement the Chronicle was told was only verbal.

“I think it’ll be fine. Every deal is different, and you know, unfortunately that one didn’t work out, and we did the best we could,” Crane said. “And he did the best he could, and we couldn’t get a deal. It’s unfortunate for everybody.”

Crane said he hoped change to MLB’s draft setup would come out of this year’s draft.

“That’s one of the things I think would protect the players and protect the team,” Crane said. “I think it needs to be addressed.”